


without even knowing (i start to smile)

by jungyh



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Modern AU, Oops, Wheesa are BFFs, eventual moonsun, first chapter mamamoo minus yongsun cause i'm that person, i take the long road there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:46:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22430530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jungyh/pseuds/jungyh
Summary: “Don’t you think it’s risky? Giving your heart to someone and hoping that they’ll know how to treat you right without getting your own heart broken in the process?”A wistful smile appeared on Hyejin’s face, her eyes thoughtful as she stared at the green bottle in her hand. In that moment, Moonbyul thought the maknae looked older and wiser than she normally did.“Sometimes you meet someone who makes you think the risk is worth it, and you take a chance with them. If things don’t work out, it’ll be another chapter in the book of life that you go back and read once in a while.”Or: Moonbyul has her heart broken and struggles with relationships for a while, until she meets Yongsun.
Relationships: Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa & Jung Wheein, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	without even knowing (i start to smile)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm just gonna post part of this work cause i need some pressure to keep me working on it..

When she first saw her, Moonbyul’s world stopped. 

It was a rather nice spring day, one of those where the weather was just perfect, the sun shining brightly in the sky, with just a slight breeze that shook the cherry blossom petals from its branches; one of those days fit for a dreamy, romantic k-drama scene. 

Taking advantage of the nice weather, many students took to the outdoors, basking under the warmth of the sun on the grass. Friends could be seen gathered in various groups and patches , all smiles and laughs, barely a hint of stress or worry as the semester had just begun. Couples walked around hand in hand, arm in arm, taking pictures beneath the blooming cherry blossoms, sitting together on the numerous benches that occupied Moonbyul’s college campus. 

It was a day like this that made Moonbyul jealous of the couples, of their happiness and their ability to trust and connect. Her last relationship was over 2 years ago, one that ended with hurtful words and tears, Moonbyul now struggled to connect with someone on that level and entrust them with her heart. 

The first year after her breakup, Moonbyul was filled with spite and doubt, wondering how anyone could let another person into their hearts and lives when it could all go wrong in an instant, when trust could be broken so easily and quickly. 

Afterall, all it had taken was one lie from her ex-girlfriend, Park Hyemin, before it grew and grew, until it grew into a shadow of a relationship, going from sweet, romantic night walks at the Han River, to one word text replies and long breaks of silence, eventually evolving into unenthusiastic greetings and tension filled dinners. 

It wasn’t until one cold day in January, nearly 7 months after they had started dating, that Moonbyul had discovered the reason for their deteriorating relationship: a third person. Shock and devastation came first, followed by despair, then anger. 

It was that anger that drove Moonbyul to confront Hyemin that day, resulting in harsh words and accusations thrown at each other, both sides hoping to hurt the other and protect themselves, before finally coming to resigned words and bitter tears. 

* * *

_Slumped against the apartment door, silent, bitter tears flowed down her face as Moonbyul stared at Hyemin, who had her head in her arms as she sat hugging her legs a couple feet away from Moonbyul._

_Tasting the salty tears as she opened her mouth, Moonbyul forced out the question, “How long has this been going on?”_

_Silence greeted her. Bringing both hands to her face to wipe away her tears, she cleared her throat and spoke again, “How long have you been seeing her Hyemin? One month? Two months?”_

_From her spot, she could barely see Hyemin’s head shake, and Moonbyul narrowed her eyes as a thought came to her mind, “Don’t tell me you were seeing her the entire time we were dating.”_

That _brought Hyemin’s head up as the older woman widened her red eyes incredulously at Moonbyul._

_“No! Of course not—” shaking her head vehemently as she denied the accusation— “do you really think that lowly of me right now Byul? That I would cheat on you throughout our whole relationship?”_

_A harsh chuckle escaped her as Moonbyul leveled a cold, steely gaze on the woman in front of her, “I don’t know, you tell me. After all, how would I know how long my girlfriend’s been cheating on me for?”_

_As though she had been slapped, Hyemin sucked in a deep breath as she turned away from Moonbyul’s accusing eyes. She lowered her head and stared at the wood at her feet._

_Silence filled the apartment as Moonbyul stared fixedly at the other, silent occupant, who kept her eyes grilled to the floor. Moonbyul didn’t know how long they stayed like that, and let out a heavy sigh, wiping her face one more time before she pulled herself off from the wood floor._

_Hyemin’s quiet voice broke the silence as she finally answered Moonbyul’s question, “A bit under three months.”_

_She felt her heart drop, and could feel the tears threatening to form again. Moonbyul forced herself to turn away from Hyemin, facing the door as she blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay._

_She could hear the older woman shuffling behind her, and Moonbyul let out another heavy sigh, closing her eyes as she compelled her voice to sound as stable as possible, “I hope,” what did she hope, she wondered?_

_“Byul-ah…” Hyemin’s voice was closer than Moonbyul liked, and she took in a deep breath, hands on the doorknob as she said her final piece to Hyemin, “Stay healthy. And live well,” with that, Moonbyul opened the apartment door and took a step out._

_Hyemin’s last words broke her heart into a million pieces, the words faint but still audible to Moonbyul as the door closed behind her, “At one point, I did love you, Moon Byulyi. Honestly.”_

_As she walked away from the apartment, the brown-haired woman lamented on her now ex-girlfriend’s last words to her._

_Hyemin had loved her at one point, while Moonbyul had loved her up to that point._

_Her feet carried her aimlessly through the streets, and as the snow fell, the world white and the sky gray, Moonbyul let her tears fall as she tried to pick up the pieces of her broken heart on that quiet winter day._

* * *

That semester, Moonbyul had been lost and distant, losing herself in video games, and frequently questioning people’s intentions and the integrity of relationships. Shrugging off and ignoring invitations for parties and meet ups, Moonbyul fell out of touch with friends and friend groups; even her closest friends couldn’t pull her out of her wallowing self-pity and anger.

She played it off coolly when her family asked about her well-being, citing academics as the reason for her lack of phone calls and visits home. Her academics suffered that semester, forcing Moonbyul to take summer classes that allowed her to meet Jung Wheein, a fellow student one year below her. 

The two were paired together for a project for their communications class, and Moonbyul was perfectly content with splitting up the work evenly and piecing things together at the end, but Wheein was adamant in meeting up and doing the work together. 

_“I heard from my friend that this teacher is really strict on grading projects. Let’s meet up Saturday and work on our parts together so we can look out for any mistakes and know what page we’re both on, yeah?”_

And so, Moonbyul reluctantly agreed, unable to reject the young woman’s shy enthusiasm and innocent puppy eyes. 

A few sessions later, Wheein had introduced Moonbyul to Hyejin, and that was when their friendship took off. 

* * *

_“You’re Wheein’s group mate, Moonbyul-ssi, right? I’m Ahn Hyejin, nice to meet you,” Hyejin gave a once over to Moonbyul, “Let’s be friends.”_

_Flustered and caught off guard, all Moonbyul could do was stare at the new girl._

_“Let’s get some food first, my shift was exhausting and I’m starving. Wheein didn’t you say something about a good stew restaurant that just opened up? Let’s go there.” Hyejin was pushing Wheein to pack up her bag as she spoke, and then glanced over at Moonbyul. “Moonbyul-ssi, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to pack up?”_

_Brows raised, all Moonbyul could do was utter an, “Eh? I’m going too?”_

_Hyejin looked at Wheein, who turned to look at Moonbyul, who was still staring at Hyejin._

_“Of course you’re going, I did say let’s be friends just now, didn’t I?” And then Hyejin was at Moonbyul’s side, grabbing her things for her, “Wheein-ah, help me pack her stuff. Why do you both have so many papers out, it’s so much to clean up.”_

* * *

From that day onwards, Hyejin would join in on their project sessions, and always force the two to end early to go out and eat. Moonbyul found herself joining them each time, until it became second nature to pack up her things to go eat with Wheein and Hyejin. Even after Moonbyul and Wheein’s project was turned in, they continued to hang out as a trio, eventually going from eating out together to shopping together, and spending time together outside of classes and on weekends. 

That summer, Moonbyul finally began to reconnect with people, and slowly started to reach out to friends she had lost contact with, apologizing for her sudden disappearance and absence. 

* * *

_Prodding at the straw of her cola, Moonbyul fidgeted in her seat under her friend’s piercing stare._

_Sandeul set down his iced coffee on the table, and let out a long exhale, “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting to, Miss Moon?”_

_Wincing at his formal tone and words, Moonbyul straightened her back as she forced herself to look at Sandeul as she apologized, “I want to apologize to my friend.”_

_The black-haired man cocked a brow in question, and Moonbyul took it as a cue to continue speaking._

_“Lee Junghwan, I’m sorry for going MIA on you for the past six months, and disappearing without a word or explanation,” bowing her head as she finished her words, Moonbyul fretfully grabbed her knees with both hands, scared to look up to see what might be on her friend’s face._

_Grabbing his iced coffee, Sandeul took a sip before he replied, “And?”_

_Confusion crossed the younger woman’s face, and she lifted her head slightly to meet Sandeul’s questioning stare._

_“And… I’m sorry for not telling you my relationship ended..?” her voice trailed off as she hesitantly answered, wondering if that was what the older man was upset about._

_“And?”_

_So there was something else he was upset about. Moonbyul racked her mind trying to think of what it could be that she should be apologizing for, eyes darting around and brows creasing in thought._

_Sandeul let out a resigned sigh, and poked Moonbyul’s forehead as if to admonish the younger woman, “And, you should be sorry for making your good friend worry like this you idiot.”_

_Understanding dawned on the brown-haired woman’s face, and Sandeul gave his friend a small grin, “Aigoo you stupid star, you really made us worry a lot you know?”_

_Moonbyul straightened her back as she let out a sigh of relief, the corner of her lips turning up as she began to catch up with Sandeul inside the cafe._

* * *

When the fall semester started that September, Moonbyul wasn’t alone. Things were still slightly awkward between Moonbyul and Sandeul, even more so with her other friends. After all, there was a good half year gap in their lives that Moonbyul missed out on, but she was patching up friendships and making more of an effort to meet up and hang out. 

She still questioned people’s intentions and the sincerity of couples, but was no longer closing herself off from the world while doing so. 

That semester, Moonbyul had moved into the same apartment building as Wheein and Hyejin, her apartment two floors above the two 19 year-old’s. 

It was a small loft apartment, not too spacious but bigger than the dorm room she had been in the previous year. Her apartment was simple and organized, furnished with a queen bed on the loft, her work desk and chair, along with a small table for eating on the first level, and a small bookshelf that she conveniently placed underneath her loft steps. 

Wheein and Hyejin’s apartment was slightly bigger than Moonbyul’s loft apartment, the duo having a single room apartment that made it more spacious, making it the better choice for drinking and hangouts when the three women were in the mood. 

And so, Moonbyul often found herself bringing food and alcohol to Wheein and Hyejin’s apartment for a movie night or a girl’s night, sleeping the night over when the three got too rowdy and drank too much. 

It was also common for Hyejin to talk about cute guys she met, the younger woman often trying to set up dates for Wheein.

* * *

_Leaning against the wall, Moonbyul found herself shaking her head as Hyejin showed picture after picture of guys in her class to Wheein._

_“Ugh Wheein-ah, are you seriously telling me_ none _of these guys are cute? Not even this one?” swiping fervently on her phone, Hyejin finally located the picture and raised her phone to Wheein’s face again._

_Squinting her eyes, Wheein shook her head and pushed Hyejin’s phone away, “He’s cute—” and held up a hand to stop Hyejin before she could say anything— “in a little brother way with his baby face. And he has double eyelids. You know I like guys with monolids.”_

_“Eh? He does?” Hyejin brought her phone back to her and zoomed in on the picture, “Oh you’re right, he does. Oops.”_

_Wheein turned to Moonbyul, the two sharing a deadpanned look before they both let out a small laugh. Wheein reached over to the brown-haired girl to grab a piece of tteokbokki as Hyejin continued scrolling through her pictures._

_Finished with her can of beer, Moonbyul got up from her spot to grab another can from the fridge, stepping around Hyejin’s sprawled form next to the table, “Do you both want any more drinks?”_

_Immediately, two voices cried out,“Beer!” “Soju!”_

_Wheein turned to face her best friend with an accusing glare,“Ahn Hyejin, you better not get drunk and have me to clean up after you again!”_

_Looking away from her phone, the maknae of the group sat up and faced the short blonde, “Jung Wheein, I will make no promises of that sort as I know my dependable best friend will always take care of me,” and promptly fell back onto the ground with a hard push from Wheein._

_“Ugh seriously! Unnie help me out here!”_

_Grabbing two cans of beer and a bottle of soju, Moonbyul set them down on the table before regaining her seat against the wall, cracking open a can for herself as she smiled at the duo’s antics. Bringing the cold can to her lips, her brows raised in surprise at Hyejin’s next words._

_“Okay, what about this girl then? She’s pretty cute isn’t she?”_

_Moonbyul blinked owlishly as Hyejin passed her phone to Wheein, who hummed as she looked at the picture._

_“Nah. She seems more like Byulyi-unnie’s type though,” the younger blonde extended her arm and brought the phone to Moonbyul’s face, “What do you think unnie?”_

_Glancing at the phone, Moonbyul saw a girl who seemed younger than her, with chubby cheeks and long brown hair darker than her’s, a large smile on her face as she posed under a tree. She shifted her eyes back to Wheein, who was looking at the older woman expectantly, head slightly tilted as she waited for a response._

_Brows furrowing, Moonbyul questioned hesitantly,“Wheein, you’re.. bi..?”_

_“Unnie, you didn’t know?” Instead of Wheein, it was Hyejin who responded._

_The junior shook her head as her eyes darted between the two younger women, surprise evident on her face._

_Pushing herself off the ground, Hyejin sat up and reached for the can of beer on the table, a bored expression on her face, “Wheein is bi unnie. Don’t you notice how crazy she gets for SNSD?” Bringing the can up to her lips, Hyejin smirked as Wheein started to blush._

_“I.. didn’t really notice,” wincing, Moonbyul saw Hyejin take a punch to the arm from Wheein as the blonde tried to stop her friend’s next words._

_“Oh yeah she goes crazy for Taeyeon and the Taeyeon-Sunny ship, what’s it called again? Tanny?”_

_Slapping the younger woman’s arm again, Wheein grabbed Hyejin and tried to cover her mouth, “Oh my gosh shut up! And it’s TaeNy! T-A-E-N-Y!”_

_Moonbyul just looked on as Hyejin continued to blurt out Wheein’s idol crushes, who, to no avail, tried to keep her friend silent, the picture on the phone forgotten._

* * *

After that, the two would occasionally show Moonbyul pictures of women, hoping to set their older friend up for once. Each time, Moonbyul shrugged, giving a short response, or gave a simple response and changed the topic back to the other two. 

Rarely though, Moonbyul would give a curt answer to make the younger two back off from trying to introduce dates to her. That was usually when Moonbyul felt most bitter about relationships, and had no desire to entertain the idea of meeting new women and dating.

One night, near the end of the semester, when the three were drinking in celebration of the end of finals at Wheein and Hyejin’s apartment, Moonbyul decided to ask her two sophomore friends the question that had been looming in her mind for a couple of weeks. 

* * *

_Hyejin picked up a piece of gopchang with her chopsticks as she leaned over Wheein’s shoulders, who was turning down an invitation for group date._

_“Ahh,” Wheein opened her mouth, waiting for Hyejin to feed her as she typed off an apology to her friend._

_The younger woman glanced at Wheein, chopsticks almost to her mouth, and decided to tease her best friend. Bringing the chopsticks closer to Wheein, Hyejin told Wheein to open her mouth wider, before quickly stuffing the piece into her own mouth._

_“Who said I was going to give it to you, ha!” the dark-haired sophomore laughed as she chewed on the grilled intestine._

_Wheein turned to Hyejin and gaped, before narrowing her eyes. She dropped her phone to the floor and picked up her chopsticks, intent on taking the last piece._

_Already anticipating Wheein’s reaction, Hyejin also dove for the gopchang with her chopsticks. Moonbyul watched as the mock fight ensued, the two getting louder and rowdier as they both tried to take the last piece._

_Pouring herself a shot of soju, Moonbyul stared at it for a second before one-shotting it. She then looked up at Wheein and Hyejin, and decided to ask the question on her mind._

_“Don’t you think people are setting themselves up for heartbreak when they go into a relationship?”_

_Wheein paused and turned to Moonbyul, her mock fight with Hyejin over the last piece of gopchang ending as Hyejin took advantage of the short-haired woman’s distraction to claim the last piece, quickly stuffing the gopchang into her mouth and savoring it._

_“Unnie, that’s a really cold way to go about relationships,” Wheein glanced down at the take out box only to see an empty one._

_She looked up furiously at Hyejin, who had a smug expression on. “Aish Ahn Hyejin! How could you eat it just like that!”_

_“What, do you want me to spit it back out and give it to you, cause I’ll do that right now if you want,” Hyejin pulled Wheein over, opening her mouth as if to regurgitate the gopchang, to Wheein’s disgust._

_“Ew ew ew! Stop it! You’re so gross ugh,” pushing away the childish woman, Wheein turned her attention to Moonbyul, who had a lost and unfocused look in her eyes as she poured herself another glass, “Seriously though unnie, where’d you get that idea from?”_

_A cold chuckle left Moonbyul’s mouth, and she shrugged her shoulders a tad bit too casually for Wheein to ignore and drop the matter._

_“Just in general. It looks like people who get into relationships these days end them pretty fast, and what’s left is just tears and heartbreak that could’ve been avoided.” Moonbyul downed her shot of soju again, and reached over for the bottle to refill her glass._

_Wheein and Hyejin shared a look, one confused and one concerned. Hyejin reached for her beer and took a sip of it before she spoke._

_“Byulyi-unnie, rather than looking at it as people setting themselves up for heartbreak, maybe you should look at it as two people going on a journey while trying to understand each other, even if the outcome doesn’t always end nicely.”_

_Moonbyul turned to Hyejin, who stared back at Moonbyul as she took another sip._

_“Don’t you think it’s risky? Giving your heart to someone and hoping that they’ll know how to treat you right without getting your own heart broken in the process?”_

_A wistful smile appeared on Hyejin’s face, her eyes thoughtful as she stared at the green bottle in her hand. In that moment, Moonbyul thought the maknae looked older and wiser than she normally did._

_“Sometimes you meet someone who makes you think the risk is worth it, and you take a chance with them. If things don’t work out, it’ll be another chapter in the book of life that you go back and read once in a while.”_

_Skepticism on her face, Moonbyul downed another glass, and observed Hyejin who was still staring at the bottle of beer in her hands._

_The younger woman let out a heavy sigh as she finally turned her eyes to Moonbyul, seeing the question in her friend’s doubt-filled eyes, “Unnie, the heart doesn’t always listen to the brain. We might want to call ourselves logical and rational, but there’s a reason why we always describe humans as emotional too.”_

_Still unconvinced, Moonbyul reached for the bottle of soju, which was promptly taken out of reach by Wheein. The brown-haired woman turned to the blonde-haired one, a questioning look on her face. Wheein simply stared back unimpressed, tucking the soju bottle safely into her arms._

_“Unnie, at this rate, you’re gonna finish the soju before I get to enjoy it,” she poured herself a glass and kept the bottle at her side, “Anyways, why are you asking this? Does this… does this have to do with why you were the way you were back when we first met?”_

_Moonbyul clenched her jaw, and shifted her eyes to focus on a random spot on the window behind Wheein._

_Said person turned her head to Hyejin, who was nursing the beer bottle in her hand, and raised her eyebrows at the younger woman. Hyejin stared at Wheein, reading her silent question, and glanced over at their silent, brown-haired friend before turning back to her Wheein and shrugged. Hyejin tilted her head in Moonbyul’s direction as if to say, “you ask her,” while bringing the beer to her lips once again._

_Wheein gave Hyejin an incredulous look, then focused her gaze on Moonbyul, who was still silent and not making eye contact._

_“Unnie,” Wheein started off hesitantly, “you know we’re both here for you right? You can share whatever you want, and not share anything you don’t want, but if you tell us what’s on your mind we might be able to give you better advice.”_

_A few seconds passed. Then, Moonbyul’s eyes finally moved from the wall to Wheein._

_Biting her lip, Moonbyul let out a deep and heavy sigh, and reached over the table for the soju bottle that was by Wheein’s side._

_“If I’m going to tell you two this story, I want to be decently drunk for it, not barely tipsy.”_

* * *

That night, as Moonbyul recalled her last relationship and break up to Wheein and Hyejin, no one stayed sober, the three drinking the night away into the early morning. The younger two were wholly empathetic to the older woman’s story, and made angry, furious declarations about Hyemin. 

Wheein was convinced that Moonbyul had been unlucky with her ex-girlfriend, and that meeting the right person would change her mind. Hyejin agreed, but added that Moonbyul needed more time to let herself heal from the ordeal. 

_“I’ve been in good relationships and bad relationships unnie. If I allowed the bad ones to keep me from entering future relationships, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I wouldn’t learn and grow, and I wouldn’t know what type of person suits me better or what kind of person I need to avoid,” the darker-haired woman mumbled, already past the point of tipsy but still trying to make a case to Moonbyul._

The semester ended shortly after their night of deep talks and revelations, and so, the two sophomores went back to their hometown in Jeonju, two hours away from Seoul. This left Moonbyul alone for the break, and after talking to her parents, it was decided she would stay on campus for a month and return home to Bucheon in time for Korean New Year.

On New Year’s Eve, the brown-haired junior spent the countdown at the Han River with a couple cans of beer, and reminisced the past year and everything that had happened since her breakup. She thought back to what Wheein and Hyejin had told her a few weeks ago, how Moonbyul had been unlucky with her previous relationship, and how she needed more time for herself. 

That night, she returned to her apartment at two in the morning after consuming two cans at the river, heart still heavy but more accepting of her break up. When she woke up hours later, she found herself accepting an invitation from Sandeul to drink with Jin and Ken who were still in Seoul. 

They went to a bar that night, celebrating the new year and catching up with half of their ‘97 liner club, formed from when they had somehow all been placed in the same chemistry lab their first semester in college. Catching up with her friends, Moonbyul found it easy to slip back into old dynamics with them as she spent the second day of the new year getting drunk again, this time the regrets and heavy thoughts not a focus of her attention. 

She spent the first month of her break with her ‘97 liner friends, hanging out in small groups and in pairs. That month, Moonbyul found herself feeling less of a heavy heart and more free from the miserable thoughts that had weighed her down in the past. It was more common for her to slip back into her old antics, showing off her greasiness and cheesy lines, to the joy and horror of her friends. 

When she went home to Bucheon, her parents also sensed a difference in their oldest daughter. Whereas in past phone calls Moonbyul often sounded tired, with a bitter tone underlying her words, the woman who greeted them seemed more cheerful and happy. Moonbyul’s father chalked it up to the past two semesters being harsh on their daughter, while her mother was more skeptical, but decided not to chase it, knowing her daughter would come to them if anything happened. 

Moonbyul knew her mother was curious and less easily fooled than her father was, but, fearful of her parents’ reaction to her being gay _and_ having dated a girl in the past, she decided it was better to just play off her previous demeanor as the result of a difficult year of academics. She hoped to let them know one day eventually, but knew coming out to them on around one of the most important traditional holidays of the country was bound to blow up negatively. 

Three weeks later, when Moonbyul returned to Seoul, she was greeted by the sight of Wheein and Hyejin decorating her apartment. 

* * *

_Moonbyul entered the passcode to her apartment, eager to set down her luggage and the bag of side dishes her mother had demanded she bring with her before she had left. Opening the door, she stepped a foot in, and screamed._

_“What the heck!”_

_In front of her were Wheein and Hyejin, the two on the ground blowing up balloons way past the normal size for a balloon. Wheein jumped in surprise and let go of the balloon she had been blowing, the green rubber flying around before landed somewhere on the floor._

_Hyejin, on the other hand, was coughing, her surprise at Moonbyul’s sudden entrance resulting in air in the balloon going back into her mouth before she let go of the balloon._

_Wheein went to pat the dark-haired woman’s back, before turning to Moonbyul, who stood at the entryway gaping, “Unnie! You didn’t have to yell and scare us like that!”_

_Incredulous, Moonbyul pointed at the two, “I wouldn’t have yelled if I knew you two were in my apartment, which I thought was going to be empty!” she retorted back._

_“Unnie—” coughing, Hyejin took a deep breath in— “we were trying to decorate your apartment and give you a surprise, didn’t you say you were arriving after 6?”_

_Her sore left arm begged for release from the heavy bag of dishes, and so Moonbyul lowered the bag onto the ground and turned to pull her luggage into the apartment before she finally closed the door._

_“I was, but my dad drove me so I got here earlier,” the younger woman’s words about a surprise registered in her head and she turned to face her two friends, “wait, what do you mean surprise?”_

_Hyejin shut her mouth and looked helplessly over at Wheein, who’s eyes widened in response before she leveled a glare at the other woman._

_“Uhm, oops?” the dark-haired woman let out a nervous chuckle, slowing inching away from the short-haired blonde in case Wheein decided to hit her._

_Hmphing at her friend who had accidentally spilled the beans, Wheein got up at went to Moonbyul’s fridge, pulling out a cake._

_“We left before we could celebrate your birthday didn’t we? I know we sent you birthday texts, but we figured better a late cake than never right?” Wheein smiled at her older friend as she brought the cake over to the taller woman, who was amazed._

_Hyejin appeared next to Wheein, a gift bag in hand which she raised up to Moonbyul, “Happy 21st Byulyi-unnie!”_

_Amazed and speechless, all Moonbyul could do was stare at the two women in front of her, who were both sporting large smiles._

_“I… wow, I—” not knowing what to say, and feeling tears prick her eye, the brown-haired woman brought her hands up to cover her eyes._

_“Aigoo, is our unnie so touched that she’s about to cry?” Moonbyul heard Hyejin say, before she felt herself wrapped up in the maknae’s arms._

_Wheein set the cake down on Moonbyul’s desk, then walked over to the two and threw her arms around them as well, “Unnie don’t cry too much, we still have to take a picture of you and your cake to commemorate your first birthday celebration with us!”_

_Letting out a chuckle, the older woman nodded before she moved her hands to hug her friends, “Thanks you two.”_

_Still hugging the taller woman, Wheein and Hyejin turned to look at each other, before letting go and dragging Moonbyul over to her tiny dining table, and forced the older woman to sit down on the ground. Wheein and Hyejin plopped down next to Moonbyul, and suddenly Wheein had a polaroid camera in hand._

_“One, two, three, smile!” all three faced the camera raised high and far in order to capture all of them. Hyejin had her chin on Moonbyul’s shoulder, who held up a peace sign above Wheein’s head, which was just a bit off the side in front of Moonbyul’s shoulder._

_A flash later, Wheein set her camera down and took a seat around the table, while Hyejin got up to grab some plates and forks for the three to eat the cake._

_“How was your break unnie? You didn’t spend the whole time at home playing video games did you?” Wheein raised an accusing brow at Moonbyul, who proceeded to roll her eyes._

_“No I didn’t. Believe it or not, I actually went out with friends and spent time with my family at home okay.”_

_Wheein and Hyejin both shared a surprised look with each other, Hyejin setting down the things in her hands before passing the knife to Moonbyul._

_“That’s good to hear unnie. Wheein was worried you’d spend the whole time on your phone or something,” the youngest of the three joked, silently urging Moonbyul to cut the cake._

_“Yah what are you talking about,” the short blonde gave her friend a light shove, a playful banter starting between the two._

_Moonbyul watched as the two argued, a content smile on her face before she set to cut the cake for them. Cutting out three slices, she set them on plates and slid them over to the two sophomores._

_“So what did you two do over break? I’m guessing Hyejin ate a lot of good food, judging from the number of food pictures she posted on her instagram.”_

_The pair of best friends finally stopped their banter, turning to the brown-haired woman who was digging into her slice of cake._

_Hyejin grabbed her fork and took a bite, relishing in the taste before responding, “Yep, my parents made a lot of food for me when I was home, and Wheein and I visited a lot of our old food places that we used to frequent as high schoolers. Otherwise, I kind of just stayed home.”_

_“Oh yeah, her parents definitely made a lot of food alright, with the number of times Hyejin called me over to her house to eat something they made I felt I was going to become the fourth Ahn daughter.”_

_Hyejin and Moonbyul bursted out in laughter, and Wheein broke out into a small smile, her signature dimple appearing. Hyejin leaned over to poke at Wheein’s dimple._

_“I mean, Ahn Wheein sounds pretty good, doesn’t it unnie?”_

_The short blonde threw a sideways stare at her best friend, gaze unamused while Moonbyul shook her head as she ate her slice._

_“Nah, Moon Wheein is better,” a mischievous grin appeared, her nose wrinkling as the older woman watched Wheein gaped at Moonbyul in disbelief while Hyejin tsked in disagreement._

_“Yeah right, tell that to my parents unnie, they practically treat her like their unofficial daughter at this point.”_

_Moonbyul raised a brow in response, “Did you forget the way my mom sounds when she realizes Wheein’s around? She’ll fight tooth and nail to make Wheein the fourth Moon daughter.”_

_Wheein deadpanned at both of them, “Why are you both like this, me and my soul belong to the Jung family okay.”_

_The two women in question shared a look and snickered. Hyejin raised her hand to Wheein’s head to pat it, “It’s cause you’re cute and lovable, right Byulyi-unnie?”_

_Moonbyul nodded in agreement, and laughed again at Wheein’s response._

_“Why is this girl like this, did you buy the wrong cake or something?” she joked, finishing her slice of cake before focusing her attention onto the laughing brown-haired woman, “Unnie, what did you do over break?”_

_“Me? I told you, I hung out with friends here and spent time with family back at home. Look, I even have pictures.”_

_Moonbyul took out her phone and unlocked it, going into the photos folder to pull up pictures to show her two friends, “See?”_

_Wheein and Hyejin leaned forward on Moonbyul’s small dining table to look at the pictures, Hyejin swiping right and flipping through them._

_“Ooooh look at Byulyi-unnie smiling so big, send them to me, I’ll use them to match you up with a woman,” the younger brown-haired woman joked._

_Moonbyul smirked as she taunted Hyejin, “Sure, go ahead.”_

_The two younger woman stared at the junior, Wheein’s eyes wide with surprise as Hyejin blinked owlishly._

_It was Hyejin who got over her surprise first, “Wait, seriously?”_

_The older woman snorted in response as she got up to clear the plates, the three having finished their respective slices already._

_“Of course not, I’m not looking to go on dates right now. Maybe in the future.”_

_At that, Wheein and Hyejin shared a look with each other, silent communication passing through before Wheein asked, “Unnie, you’re cool with meeting people?”_

_“I mean, not right now, but I guess eventually in the future yeah. It’s not like Hyejin’s going to let me stay single forever right?” Moonbyul joked as she set the plates down in the sink before she turned to face the two, a shy, abashed smile on her face._

_“Well, obviously I won’t let you stay single forever unnie. I think we’re both just a bit surprised you’d actually entertain the idea of me setting you up on a date, right?” Hyejin turned to Wheein to seek confirmation, which she got in the form of a nod from the blonde._

_Moonbyul leaned against the counter, eyes wandering around as she tried to find the words to explain it._

_“I guess this break, it was a good healing session for me. I spent time by myself and with people, and I did some soul searching? I don’t know, I guess Hyejin’s words about giving myself more time finally sunk in, and I came to terms about how my bitterness with relationships and meeting new people was kind of something I kept carrying around without actually trying to face and let go of.”_

_The brown-haired woman twiddled with the hem of her shirt as she finished, and kept her gaze to the ground in front of her, timid of what her younger friends might have to say. She glanced up when she heard footsteps approaching her._

_Wheein and Hyejin stood in front of Moonbyul, both offering a small smile to the older women, and Wheein threw her arms around Moonbyul and gave her friend a firm hug. Hyejin joined in shortly, wrapping her arms around the two. Moonbyul breathed out in relief._

_“I’m glad you’re in a better spot now Byulyi-unnie,” Wheein patted the back of Moonbyul’s head as she whispered those words._

_Moonbyul felt Hyejin nodding in agreement, and she smiled, grateful for her friends._

_“I’m sorry you had to deal with such a sulky person for the past year, I know I was a real mood killer at times,” the older woman apologized, knowing she had, on various occasions, killed the vibe when she refused to go on dates set by Hyejin for her and Wheein._

_“Oh yeah, you definitely were a mood killer all right. So give me your pictures so I can find you some good dates now that your sulky phase is over,” as she joked, Hyejin playfully reached to grab Moonbyul’s phone from her back pocket, to which the older woman responded by twisting her body away and effectively breaking up the group hug._

_“Don’t you even try Ahn Hyejin, I said in the future, not right now,” the older junior clutched her phone in her hand as she pointed accusingly at the younger brown-haired woman._

_In response, Hyejin shrugged and leaned her arm on Wheein’s shoulder, loudly whispering for Moonbyul to hear, “Let’s steal her phone and get those pictures.”_

_Wheein simply rolled her eyes at her friend’s antics, before moving towards Moonbyul, who stiffened as she clutched her phone harder, ready to escape if her puppy-like friend decided to join in on the plot._

_“Unnie, actually though, let me see those pictures, you looked really good in them,” the shorter blonde looped an arm around Moonbyul’s arms, hands reaching for the phone to pull up the pictures as she joked, “I won’t send the pictures to Hyejin or anything, I’m not as lame as she is.”_

_Moonbyul grinned, and unlocked her phone before passing it to Wheein, silently snickering at Hyejin’s indignant expression._

_“Yah Jung Wheein, what do you mean I’m lame?!”_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> yes i'm well aware i have practically 6.5k words with no moonsun interaction.. i have their first scene done i just need to get the scenes in between finished which is where i'm lagging right now... 
> 
> i also might have missed some mistakes and typos here and there bare with me 
> 
> im on tumblr and twitter (jungyeongg) come pester me there


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